From Wheeler to Goose Pond – along the Tennessee

Surrounded by Autumn Colors

On our way to Joe Wheeler State Park we had to lock through the Wheeler Lock. This was the easiest one ever! No wind – no current – no problems! Just past the lock we see the entrance to the State Park. Wheeler Lake is really pretty but I think Wilson Lake has it beat. Anyway as we approached the Marina we could see all the Looper boats sitting tall and proud.

Tennessee River sunset

Anchorage at Joe Wheeler State Park

Surprise!  Look what we caught!
Our anchor chain was wrapped around the branch
about six times.  What a mess!

Somebodys fishing hole caught us!

Mike took the branch over to the far bank
after freeing it from the cement block and our boat

It was really neat to see all of them. It was even better to see all our Looper friends!
We anchored just passed the marina around the bend. It was absolutely beautiful. The leaves are really starting to turn. The weather is getting a little bite to it in the mornings but the afternoons warm up nicely. We took the dinghy over for a visit during the Looper Crawl (Happy Hour). It was good to see some of our Looper buddies. However, we didn't get to visit with EVERYONE! Wish we had.

Tuesday morning Mike fished and we pretty much just hung out while enjoying the really gorgeous weather and scenery. Some of our buddies came over to visit. Other than that – I'd say we didn't DO anything! How great is that!

We decided to leave our wonderful anchorage on Wednesday morning. Capt. Chappy was getting antsy. We planned to head toward Chattanooga. Sweet Pea would catch up to us after the Rendezvous. We didn't get away as easy as that though. When we weighed the anchor – or I should say tried to weigh the anchor we found that the chain had wrapped around this HUGE tree branch at least a half a dozen times! Not only that – the HUGE branch had a cement block tied to it! We must have gotten into someone's "fishing hole". Anyway, we tugged and tugged – but finally Mike had to get the dinghy back down and chop the rope holding the block with his hatchet! Yea! Once that was loose he was able to break off some of the branches and free the chain. He then took the branch over to the edge of the bank. What a morning! So it was about the crack of 11:00 when we headed out. We went about 25 miles and anchored in Flint Creek. Now this looked like a great place on the charts (what charts we have anyway). However, it was really shallow. There were markers that took you in and out. The channel was about 8 feet but outside the channel just a little bit - it went down to four feet. At little bit farther in and there were a couple of labs playing in the water – uh, they were touching?! Mike was able to anchor NautiNell just right though so we would be fine for the evening. It turned out to be a nice evening with another beautiful sunset.

Thursday morning we were up and ready to go fairly early. Well, at least Capt. Chappy was. I need to start going to bed earlier, I guess…. LOL Anyway, we headed on down. Sweet Pea called and told us that several were going to leave Joe Wheeler this morning and planned to stay at Ditto Landing near Huntsville. That sounded fine with us! After all, if you purchase 100 gallons of fuel your slip is free. Can't beat that! We needed fuel anyway – don't we always?

We got to the Marina about noon. After having lunch we went to the grocery store. They don't have a courtesy car, but someone at the marina will drive you to the store. How nice is that! It's only about 3 miles – but who wants to bike that if you don't have to! We loaded up on groceries and beer – should be good for a couple of weeks….. hopefully. We hadn't been back to the marina very long when some of the Loopers from Joe Wheeler started to show up. We spent the evening visiting with Sweet Pea and the rest of the gang. It was starting to rain and really turning cold – that cut the visiting rather short.

After dinner, Mike and I watched the Cardinals pull the sixth came out of their hats! Wow, what a game – extra innings even! Hopefully we'll be able to get TV so we can watch the final game.

Friday morning was cold and rainy. We still wanted to head out though. Not sure why – but anyway we did. Everyone headed out rather early. We headed out about 10:30 – right on time! Sweet Pea stayed behind to get provisions, etc. They will catch up with us tomorrow. We had only planned to go about 20 miles or so and drop a hook but it was such a cold rainy day – we just kept plugging along. We locked through the Guntersville Lock without any problems. At least it quit raining for a short time. About 4:30 we pulled in to Goose Pond Marina near Scottsboro AL. Most of the Loopers that had left this morning were there. We visited with everyone for a while. The temperature had really dropped – glad we were where we could plug in and use our heat!

Till next time!

Admiral "C"

Anchoring on the Tennessee River

Beautiful red Cypress tree!

Kudzu
"The plant that ate the South"

Beautiful reflection of a fall day!

Saturday, October 22 -- After spending eight days at Grand Harbor Marina on Pickwick Lake we figured it was time to leave. We had spent the week watching several of our Looper friends come and go. We saw many we had met this past six months. There were also several Loopers come through that we had not yet met. We had so much fun meeting and catching up with everyone. It's amazing how many Loopers are out there somewhere at one time! Several were on their way to the Fall Rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park, but there were also a lot either heading to Chattanooga or on south down the Tenn-Tom.

We attended the Fall Rendezvous last year. It's a lot of fun but we decided we'd pass on it this time.

We left the marina with plans to anchor out a few nights and to work our way up the Tennessee River to Joe Wheeler where we'll connect with Jim and Dale (Sweet Pea) again after the Rendezvous. We will then head east to Chattanooga with them for a few days before heading on down the Tenn-Tom to Mobile.

Our first anchorage was in Little Bear Creek just a few miles from Florence, Alabama. We had tried a couple of other anchorages but there wasn't enough water. We thought one was a good place but we wanted to check out the depth. So Mike got the dinghy ready to check it out. BUT, of course, when we really needed the dinghy, the motor wouldn't start! So he had to "row" it into the cove. This one proved to be a little shallow. If fact we bumped when we decided to leave it. Luckily, we didn't get stuck!

Finally we found the one in Little Bear Creek with about 12 feet of water. We had Corky's Ribs for dinner. They were selling them at the marina so we picked up some before we left. Corky's is one of the best places in Memphis to eat ribs! It's a real race between them and The Rendezvous. Anyway, these were very good ribs. If you have a chance to pick up some at the marina, we highly recommend it. We sat and watched the barges go by while following the World Series on a live blog. (No TV!) GO CARDS!!!!

Sunday morning we were planning to head out early but the fog changed our minds. Didn't mind though – we have no place to be for a while….. BTW – the motor on the dinghy started on the first pull this morning. Go Figure!! We finally left around 11:30. We met up with Coconuts at the Wilson Lock and Dam. They were tied off at the lock wall waiting for their turn. We rafted up to them and waited about an hour. This lock is a lift of 93 feet! That's a lot of water! When the gates opened three cruisers came out. One of them was Bavarian Cream! We hadn't seen them in months! We only saw them from a distance but it was still good! Glad to see they're still afloat. LOL!  Hopefully we'll catch up with them sometime soon.

Once we were in Wilson Lake we realized that this is a very pretty lake! There were several coves to choose from for an anchorage. We had originally planned to lock on through the Joe Wheeler Lock. However that would be another 15 miles plus the wait at the lock. We decided to anchor out instead. Remember, we're in no hurry….. We found a beautiful area with lots of water and good protection just about five miles from the Wilson Lock. There's a camp back in the cove named "Camp David". However, I don't think this is the one our President uses. LOL! It is a beautiful place though!

What a life! Here we sit on a Sunday night - our boat in Wilson Lake on the Tennessee River - heading to beautiful Chattanooga in a few days – drinking a beer while listening to the World Series (on our computer) and our St Louis Cards! Who would have thought!!!!
At time of this writing though – Cards are down by 4 at the bottom of the 7th.   Oh well, Come on Cards!

Till next time!  

Admiral "C"

Spending time at Grand Harbor Marina

Memorials at Shiloh

One of the cannons on display

A peak of the Tennessee River

Jim and Dale
"Sweet Pea"




Sweet Pea and NautiNell anchored on
Pickwick Lake

  After a wonderful anchorage in Short Hollow on Pickwick Lake we headed out to Grand Harbor Marina.  It was only a few miles across the lake.  We had spent the evening rafted with Sweet Pea.  We even played a game of Mexican Train. There definitely needs to be a rematch!!

Shiloh Church at the Shiloh Battleground

One of our Looper friends going up the Tennessee River where
we had just been a few days before



Along the Tennessee River





Beautiful colors along the Tennessee

 


Early morning fog on Pickwick Lake

 


Beautiful Sunset on the Tennessee River

 


Fun at Freddie T's!

When we arrived at the marina, we found there were several Loopers there already!  A lot of them would be heading on to Joe Wheeler in a few days.  There were at least 20 Looper boats - with more to come!  For dinner we rounded up a shuttle van that took 6 couples to Freddie T's.  Freddie T's is a really neat place - decorated "Island Style".  Good food and good company!  The van would only hold 12 so someone had to ride in the cargo area.  Thanks Sid!  Ha!

Saturday was a beautiful day.  There was a Spa next to the marina so several Loopers were able to get haircuts, manicures and even massages!  I got a pedicure!  Wow!  I felt I was among civilization again.  LOL!  All of us seemed to just want to relax and linger around the marina.  We tried to soak up all the warmth we could - because the forecasts were telling us it wasn't going to last.

Sunday we took the courtesy car along with Jim and Dale for the day.  We went to Shiloh Military Park.  This is the site of the great two-day battle that took place during the Civil War in April 1862.  There were approximately 24,000 casualties there.  This area consists of 4000 acres and is located right along the Tennessee River.  This whole area is rich in history. If you haven't been there, I highly recommend it.

We had lunch at the Broken Spoke and stopped at the grocery store on our way back.  When we did return we found even more Loopers had arrived.   

On Monday we pretty much just hung out and enjoyed our LAST warm day for a while.  It was a really beautiful day. We cleaned NautiNell – Mike cleaned the outside while I worked on the inside. She's really looking good now – a big improvement from the time I first saw her in March!

Tuesday we went into town to pick up a few things. We stopped for lunch at Viv's BBQ. Turns out – this is the same place that we all had gone to about 6 or 7 years ago when we were here with the Smiths and Longeneckers in our smaller boats. At that time – they had no idea what a red beer was. Guess what – they still don't. At least that isn't what they call them. Mike was happy to explain it to them. We had a really great lunch. Hopefully we can get back there again before we head on down the river. It's our kind of place…………….!

The weather forecasts were right. It turned cold Tuesday afternoon and began to rain. By Wednesday morning it was in the high 30s and extremely "yucky". We had already planned to stick around for a few more days. The marina gives you a break if you stay a week. We had nowhere to be and no time schedule to get there. We weren't looking forward to anchoring in the rain and cold anyway.

So far, we have spent the day pretty much inside the boat. Mike put on a big pot of chili. Looking forward to dinner tonight! Sweet Pea is going to join us.

Till next time!

Admiral "C"

Almost to Pickwick Lake



Beautiful Anchorage



Bonfire on the beach!  What fun!
Celebrating Sweet Pea's first year on their boat!

One big Bass!

Beautiful fall foliage

One of the homes along the river. What a view!

Yes, there were goats on Swallows Island

These were pelicans lined up on a log!
Catching some rays!

Fog - almost every morning

Another beautiful sunset

After leaving Pebble Isle Marina on Saturday, we have anchored out every evening with Sweet Pea.  There are beautiful anchorages all along the way.  - Denson Island, Double Island, Swallows Island and Wolf Island have been our choices. We've been going only about 20 miles or so each day and have been really enjoying it.  Nice and easy. We've really enjoyed traveling along with Jim and Dale.  Jim and Mike are quite the duo - perhaps they should take it on the road. --?  Maybe not.....   Mike and Jim do spend alot of time fishing.  Sometimes - actually catching! 

We've even seen goats on one island along with deer - eagles - muskrats - and lots of other wildlife.  What a trip!   The things you can enjoy when you really take the time to smell the roses! We are only a few miles now from the Pickwick Lock and Dam.  We will lock through tomorrow and then plan to spend some time on Pickwick Lake.  It's a beautiful lake with lots more places to discover.  Looking forward to it!

Till next time!

Admiral "C"

Leaving Pebble Isle heading south to Pickwick

Our morning visitor!

We ended up spending a week at Pebble Isle Marina (Oct 1-7).  We really enjoyed the down time.  Several Loopers came and went while we were there.  Between the great food and free cinnamon rolls everyday, it was hard to leave!  The owners, Randy and Tammy definitely know how to make everyone feel welcome and like family.  Their rates are very reasonable and so are the fuel prices.

Lady Finger Bluff

Annie - the riverboat

They had a courtesy car which was used several times!  Mike and I were even able to get haircuts in the town of Waverly.  Remember:  Pebble Isle Marina @ mm 96 on the Tennessee River.


Looper gathering at Pebble Isle



Beautiful fall foliage

On Saturday October 8,  - we did decide it was time to leave along with Sweet Pea.  They will be going to the Rendevzous at Joe Wheeler so they have two weeks to go about 200 miles.  We'll be taking our time.....  Our plan is to spend a lot of time in Pickwick Lake while they are at the Rendevzous and then head up to Chattanooga together when it's over.  This should give the leaves plenty of time to change to their beautiful fall foliage.  We've been told by several people that Chattanooga is especially beautiful. 

Saturday night we anchored out at Densons Island.  This was a beautiful anchorage - only about 30 miles away from where we started.  We could hear an owl hooting it up all night.  Also - coyotes.  What a sound!  Then in the morning there was a bald eagle in a tree just off our stern.  He sat there for the longest time before he decided to grab him a fish for breakfast.  What a sight!  It's amazing to be out here - it is all so beautiful.  I know - I keep repeating myself.   Okay, it was really really pretty.  That better?

Sunday morning around the crack of 10:00 we decided to head for a different anchorage.  It seems to only get better.  About 1:00 we stopped at Double Island for the night.  - Again, we only went about 23 miles! No Hurry! Passport and Southern Belle were there so Sweet Pea and Nautinell rafted up with them.  Another gorgeous Fall day.  We plan to have a bonfire tonight on the beach.  Today is Sweet Pea's one year anniversary on their boat. They started off on the Great Loop on October 9, 2010. They will cross their wake in Stuart, Florida. We may party a little tonight.....!   LOL!

While we were anchored, in comes this riverboat with calliope music going! He dropped a hook too. Turns out - this guy built it himself - it took 16 years to do so! It's really a cool deal and I love the music!

Till next time!

Admiral "C"

Boating the Kentucky River with pics

View of the Quarry Walls



And the winner is!



Another beautiful day!



No - they didn't share!



Little foggy one morning!

 September 28, Wednesday – We left the Kentucky Dam Marina after a couple of nice days spent getting organized, etc. and just taking a break. We really love this area.  We went across the lake to the Quarry where the walls are painted in graffiti. It looked really cool. This was a working quarry until they flooded it when developing Kentucky Lake. About 18 years ago or so, Mike and I were here in his boat "O Baby" while on a river run with a bunch of our friends. I remember it well. We stumbled into the Quarry and there was a band on top of a houseboat along with about 25 other boats. This was a party going on! We put up our "party time" flag.  I believe the "in" drink at that time was lemon drops. Oh my….. Needless to say our other river buddies left but we hung around a bit longer. It was fun! And - That's all I'm going to say about that!

Adjacent to the Quarry is a beautiful anchorage area in Pisgah Bay. We dropped anchor along with Sweet Pea and OokPik. We planned to only stay while we had lunch but it was so nice we just decided to spend the night. Mike and Jim got into a fishing "tournament". They both took the dinghies out to bring home the winner. Believe it or not, Mike was the winner! He brought in a 1 1/2 pound bass! He was a happy boy.

Later on we gathered on Sweet Pea to have dinner. Dale made a scrumptious chicken soup with dumplings! Wow! It was a very pleasant evening. We planned to find another wonderful anchorage tomorrow.

On Thursday, we ended up at another beautiful anchorage just like we planned. This lake is full of them. We only went 23 miles and we passed several anchorages. You can just take your pick. And since its Fall, we have had them all to ourselves. We stopped around lunchtime and spent the evening. Jim and Mike tried their hands at fishing again but had no luck. We watched several fishermen and saw very few catch anything today. Oh well….. What a nice relaxing trip down the river. Maybe we'll go another 20 miles tomorrow. Don't want to get in a hurry, you know. LOL

Well, Thursday night wasn't a very restful sleep. The winds changed to the NW and we rocked and rolled all night long. Between the water lapping (which I usually like) and the lines and fenders rubbing, we were up pretty much all night. When it was daylight we looked out on the lake and could see the whitecaps. There was a small craft warning for the lake so we decided it would be best if we just stayed put. Who would have thought we'd be stuck due to the wind on the lake! Is this Lake Michigan?? Oh well…… Like I said before, we are in no hurry….. We did move over to the other side of the bay to help get out of the wind. That was a little of a problem because our anchor and OokPik's anchor were intertwined. It took some doing, but all the Captains were able to overcome the challenge and we were again anchored safely and secure for the rest of the evening.

Saturday morning we set off to spend another night on the anchor but didn't find any that we liked. I guess we're becoming rather picky! The lake is beautiful and full of coves. We were so close to Pebble Isle Marina that we finally decided to continue on to there. We'd planned to spend the night there in a few days anyway. We definitely were welcomed to Pebble Isle Marina with open arms. In fact, Randy (the owner) ordered up complimentary appetizers for us before we went to dinner. What a treat! Some of the best hush puppies ever! The desserts were absolutely wonderful! Especially the homemade chocolate chip cookie! Well at least according to Bruce and Karen. They didn't really share with us! LOL! That's okay – I didn't share my key lime pie either! Looks like OokPik is going to keep his boat here for a month while they go back to Canada for a couple of weeks. The rates are very reasonable. Sweet Pea plans to stay a week or so. Not sure at this time what we're doing! Probably stay a couple of days or so.

Sunday was spent going to Wal-Mart (grocery shopping again….) and just hanging out. I had to look on my phone to see just what day it was! Wow, Sunday, October 2. Where is this year going!

Mike bought a stereo for our saloon area. The one that's there came with the boat and only works when it wants to. So, he spent a little time on that. Other than that – it was back to the restaurant for Happy Hour and another wonderful dessert!   What a marina!

Till next time!

Admiral "C"

Ohio-Cumberland to Kentucky Dam Marina

My Hero!!



Rafted up - a party in the making!



Another beautiful sunset

Yes, it's raining!

Enjoying dinner at Patty's

New dam under construction

Dam under construction - major project!

Heading in to raft up - happy hour anyone?

Friday Morning – September 23 – Couldn't leave our great "rafting" anchorage until about 10:30 due to fog – another morning of thick soup……again…! We finally headed on down the Mississippi for another fine day of boating. We had planned to anchor at mile marker 7.7 but some ahead decided that it didn't look quite right for all of us. - So we all pushed on. We then realized it was going to be another long travel day.

About 3:00 p.m. we came to Cairo IL where the Ohio River converges with the Mississippi. This is where we leave the Mississippi behind and join the Ohio. We go up the river for about 46 miles to near Paducah. Now you want to talk about barge traffic!! Wow! The radio was busy with towboat chatter and they were going in all directions. It took about another 5-7 miles before the congestion let up. I was beginning to think this was going to be a long 46 miles!

Finally we were ready for an anchorage only they were quite scarce. We checked out tying to the bale anchors which are the big bollards right outside the new dam that is under construction. The Lockmaster told us that we could use them if we wanted. We decided against that idea. We went on past the construction and found a great anchorage along the Kentucky Side of the river. Eight boats total – plus one canoe! Yes, one canoe!

Just as all of the boats got settled in, here came two young men in a canoe down the Ohio. They were looking for a place to stop for the evening. They were on a major canoe trip which consisted going down the Mississippi River to Mobile Bay! They had already gone over 900 miles starting somewhere around Akron, Ohio. They had this canoe packed! However, their tent was wet from the rain the night before. SO, being a fine specimen of a Looper, Southern Bell asked if they wanted to stay up on top of their boat. They would be safe, dry and out of the weather. Of course, they said yes. Wouldn't you? I mean if you'd even get in a canoe and take it down the Mississippi! They were a couple of college age guys out on a major adventure. We all wish them well! Stay safe, guys! I'd never be able to sleep if that was one of my kids!

Saturday morning I was so excited because my good friend, Pam, was coming to visit while we were still fairly close by! We hadn't seen each other since I left Joplin over 5 months ago. We worked it out that she would drive to Metropolis and we would pick her up there. Then we'd go on to Kentucky Dam Marina where we could get a car and take her back to hers in Metropolis. Pretty smart!

When we got to Metropolis we found that the launch ramp and courtesy dock wouldn't handle big ol' NautiNell. So we anchored out a little ways while we waited. The other guys went on by - we planned to meet up with them at our designated anchorage. Mike launched the dinghy and we waited until Pam drove in. Right on time! I love it when a plan comes together! We loaded her up and headed on up the river. Oh did I mention – we're heading to Kentucky where we will be in a dry county – so Pam, the bootlegger, took orders before she left Joplin. The dinghy was loaded down! LOL!

Just up from where we picked Pam up was Lock and Dam #52. This was a very busy place. We finally got to lock through only we had to go in with a huge barge. If we didn't - we would be waiting another 3 hours! We pulled in when we were told – but that was a little too soon. The tow was still trying to stage his barges and the thrust from his engines just pushed us over to the side of the lock. Mike had no real control at this time and we slammed up against the lock wall – popping one of our huge fenders and pulling another one entirely off the rail. What a noise that was!! No real harm done – but lost two fenders! We were glad to get out and away from the lock.

Soon we were going on up the river. It didn't take too long before we made it up to where everyone was anchored. Everyone was rafted up at the Cumberland Towhead. This is where we will get off the Ohio River and start up the Cumberland. We tied on and prepared for a fun night. After all, Pam was here and we were ready to party! HA!

We decided that is was a night for blender drinks. Everyone donated what they had and several batches of great tropical drinks were made (TMFrs!). We had a great time! Mike grilled some chicken and Linda of Awes Spray made a terrific pot of soup. We chowed down and drank up all evening!

The next morning was rainy. I mean it was raining cats and dogs! We ventured on though – we really couldn't just sit there. We were heading up the Cumberland River to the Barkley Dam and Barkley Lake. We had the option of taking the Tennessee River to the Kentucky Dam and then into the Kentucky Lake but chose not to. This trip would have been a lot busier with commercial traffic and sometimes the Kentucky Dam has delays of several hours. We were only on the Cumberland River for a few miles – 33 miles to be exact. It snaked through a pretty region and seemed quite peaceful. It would have been a lot more enjoyable if it hadn't been pouring down rain and COLD! We were still having fun though. Pam and I made up a big pot of chili while Captain Chappy maintained the wheel. Chili just hit the spot on a day like this. We were just about ready to serve it when we realized that we were at the Barkley Lock. All of us locked through at the same time, thank goodness. The rain did let up a little while we were locking through and we really didn't have too much trouble. It was a 57' lift however, and the Lockmaster brought up the water rather quickly! It's all good! After that, we ate our chili while we ventured in to Lake Barkley.

We passed Green Turtle Bay Marina which is a huge marina. We had planned to stay there, but there was no room at the inn. So we had reservations at the Kentucky Dam Marina. This meant that we would boat through the Barkley Canal which connects Lake Barkley (on Cumberland River) and Kentucky Lake (on Tennessee River). The land between them is called "The Land Between the Lakes". Original huh!

When we made it through the canal we turned back up river about a mile or so to the Kentucky Dam Marina. There were five of us boats coming in and it was quite a cluster. BUT WE MADE IT and IT WAS STILL POURING DOWN RAIN! It must be monsoon season here in Kentucky.

We didn't let the rain stop us though; we all decided to go to dinner. There's a great place near here called Patty's 1880 Settlement. The restaurant is known for its 2 inch thick charbroiled pork chop and their wonderful desserts. So here we go – all ten of us! They sent a shuttle for us and we piled in. The food was everything they said it was. It was all good! Even including the 15 inch tall meringue topped coconut pie! Okay, Pam and I split it. Our waiter was quite the talker. He was a poli-sci/history major and wanted to tell us all about the history of Kentucky. We just wanted to eat and drink. Oh yeah, it's a dry county! No problem for us! We snuck in our own….. LOL

Monday morning, we got the courtesy car and drove Pam back to Metropolis (home of Superman!) to get her car. We stopped at Willy Jak's for lunch. A really cool place! Great shrimp and great burgers. And of course, we had our pictures taken with Superman! Then we dropped off Pam so she could drive the 6-7 hour drive home. It was so good to see her. Can't wait till she comes back. Guess she'll have to bring Bill next time… LOL

We stopped at the store and ran a few errands on the way home. It was a much nicer day than the day before. We worked around the boat and ate leftover chili. Planned to leave on Tuesday - however, Tuesday was a little cool and cloudy. It didn't take much to decide to stay another day. We all just hung out while catching up on things such as blogs and laundry. Awes Spray had decided to leave on Monday so we'll catch up with them in a few days. We'll see what Wednesday brings……..

Till next time!

Admiral "C"